Designer Michael Kors’ secret to success is keeping an eye on the customer
Michael Kors touched down in Singapore to a whirlwind of activities, which included having an orchid named after him (the Dendrobium Michael Kors), the opening of the brand’s largest retail store in South-East Asia which carried menswear for the first time in the region and an informal dialogue session with Alina Cho, former host of CNN’s Fashion: Backstage Pass.
Kors has been in the business for 35 years and commands a retail empire encompassing sportswear, accessories, footwear, womenswear and menswear. Positioning itself as an American luxury sportswear house, it has a presence in over 95 countries.
He’s been the creative director of French fashion house Celine, a judge on Project Runway and the recipient of numerous awards and accolades.
Aiming for affordable luxury with a sense of exclusivity, it seems to have worked so far. Rumblings in the market currently indicate that it’s not all champagne and glamour, but you wouldn’t know it with the launch of the Michael Kors flagship store at Mandarin Gallery.
During the interview he says the rules in menswear have changed with men wanting more in their wardrobe: “I think the men’s market is exciting in general and changing because of that, just all the rules changing, particularly when you get into warm places, so it’s a great opportunity for us. So we start here, the store here in Orchard Road is the largest in South-East Asia and I think so many people come through Singapore, it’ll be the introduction of the men’s collection for this whole region.” (see box for essential pieces for menswear)
The two-story store itself is spacious and inspired by the brand’s signature use of metallic and texture. This facade has luminous screens made of light-reflective facets set within a grid of internally lit recesses. There’s also a large-scale video screen on the first and second story exterior.
The ground floor has a selection of accessories (including handbags and small leather goods) from the Michael Kors collection and Michael Michael Kors labels. There are also watches, jewellery and eyewear plus the brand’s fragrances.
Then there’s the women’s ready-to-wear from the Michael Michael Kors label with personal stylists on hand. To complete the luxe fashion experience, there’s a grand shoe salon. Menswear and men’s accessories are on the upper level.
To celebrate the opening, there is a special limited edition collection which has three handbag styles and a pack of six stickers. The collection pays homage to the red in the Singapore flag and each bag will include a limited-edition plaque on the interior.
Hollywood star Kate Hudson flew in for the grand opening, which saw celebrities Marion Caunter, Jojo Goh, Deborah Henry and Kavita Sidhu (Malaysia), Fann Wong and Jeanette Aw (Singapore), Praya Lundberg (Thailand) and Jessica Gomes (Australia).
Behind the aviators
The self-professed city boy who coined the term jet set, which aptly describes the look of his brand – relaxed, easy glamour – says that it’s important is to always keep an eye on the customer. This is something he has consistently been doing from his early days in the industry.
“I always had my eye on the customer, always. And I always tried to be on the street and see what’s happening. I think about the trajectory, when I started at Lothar’s and I was 19-years-old. If we sold three of something I thought it was thrilling and then I went into my own business and 30 of something was exciting, and now it could be 3,000, it could be more but I keep my eye on the customer.”
He says he’s very fortunate as he knew what he wanted to do from an early age and had the support of his family. The worst part of being Michael Kors he says, is the lack of the free time.
“I carve time out, I love being in Singapore, I’ve been here many times. What I love is when you have the rush of the city, you can find some nature in the city, it gives you that moment to breathe and sort of reinvigorate yourself. Whether it’s going to the gardens or if I’m in Sydney, going to the beach.”
The original concept of jet set could be taken from the days when the papparazzi first started stalking personalities like Jackie Kennedy, Bianca and Mick Jagger coming back from trips. Kors says they were glamorous but at the same time casual and that appealed to him.
Nowadays, it’s not just celebrities, but everyone’s on the move. As he says, “a woman could be sitting in Wyoming and she’s on net-a-porter and she’s watching our show live streamed from her house.”
“All that I think, the changes are very Michael Kors, as they are about speed and mobility and curiosity and you have to stay at the head of the curve, and it changes.”
Celebrities have always been part of the brand and they not only eptomise the look of the brand, they’re also personal friends. What attracts him are their optimism and love of life.
“I think a lot of fashion people aren’t optimistic, I think they’re sad and withdrawn and that’s fine, the world is full of different ways of approaching things. I am very optimistic as a person, I always think that the glass is half full, not half empty. I think when you put on the right things, you feel better, more confident. And I love people that have that and you sense it, whether it’s someone like Kate Hudson, Blacke Lively or Lily Aldridge; all three of them have it.”
It’s not all glamour, Kors has a number of philanthropic committments and one that he’s very proud of is Watch Hunger Stop, a partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme to help build a world with zero hunger. Since its launch in 2013, Watch Hunger Stop has raised over 13 million meals for those in need.
“We thought we would be at 13 million meals at this time when in fact we’re at 15 million so that two million extra meals are fabulous. If we can keep speeding it up like that, keep the momentum and keep the noise, I honestly believe – when we talked to the World Food Program people – they are telling us that we can see zero hunger. With any other crazy thing in the world which most of us unfortunately can’t control, this we can all do something about.”
He believes that everyone should look beyond their comfort zone and sees things from a different perspective. For fashion people, he says their biggest mistake is spending too much time together as it has a tendency to make you think certain things are normal (eg: fur shoes in the tropics).
Most of his friends aren’t in the fashion industry and his oldest friend is a housewife with five children. Kors humorously says he knows what it’s like to raise children as he experiences it with her.
“I listen to who I work with, the people in my family and I have a very different life so you have to keep your eye on real life, you have to be empathetic. I think you don’t want to see the world passing by in a car with the window rolled up, you want to be on the street.”
When it comes to advice for aspiring designers, Kors says to travel, and if they can’t, travel on the phone.
“I think that’s the biggest thing, you have to get out of your own space. You also have to think about who do you want your customer to be and what can you answer differently than what other people are doing. I’ve been friends with Vera Wang for 37 years, and when Vera started her business she thought about bridal because she got married and she hated all the wedding gowns and she could’t find anything. So you have to think about how to answer the question differently. Research other places, other cultures and cities. I don’t care where you are in the world, if you want to be a fashion designer, spend time in a store. Watch what people are buying and what they’re wearing so you’re not just living in your own world.”
For Kors, the secret to success is simple. Know your customer and what they want. And step in their shoes and shop in the store.
As Kors says, “If I don’t think it’s worth me spending the money, why would I think anyone else should?” Who can argue with that?
From Star2.com (Singapore) 12/07/2016
Michael Kors touched down in Singapore to a whirlwind of activities, which included having an orchid named after him (the Dendrobium Michael Kors), the opening of the brand’s largest retail store in South-East Asia which carried menswear for the first time in the region and an informal dialogue session with Alina Cho, former host of CNN’s Fashion: Backstage Pass.
Kors has been in the business for 35 years and commands a retail empire encompassing sportswear, accessories, footwear, womenswear and menswear. Positioning itself as an American luxury sportswear house, it has a presence in over 95 countries.
He’s been the creative director of French fashion house Celine, a judge on Project Runway and the recipient of numerous awards and accolades.
Aiming for affordable luxury with a sense of exclusivity, it seems to have worked so far. Rumblings in the market currently indicate that it’s not all champagne and glamour, but you wouldn’t know it with the launch of the Michael Kors flagship store at Mandarin Gallery.
During the interview he says the rules in menswear have changed with men wanting more in their wardrobe: “I think the men’s market is exciting in general and changing because of that, just all the rules changing, particularly when you get into warm places, so it’s a great opportunity for us. So we start here, the store here in Orchard Road is the largest in South-East Asia and I think so many people come through Singapore, it’ll be the introduction of the men’s collection for this whole region.” (see box for essential pieces for menswear)
The two-story store itself is spacious and inspired by the brand’s signature use of metallic and texture. This facade has luminous screens made of light-reflective facets set within a grid of internally lit recesses. There’s also a large-scale video screen on the first and second story exterior.
The ground floor has a selection of accessories (including handbags and small leather goods) from the Michael Kors collection and Michael Michael Kors labels. There are also watches, jewellery and eyewear plus the brand’s fragrances.
Then there’s the women’s ready-to-wear from the Michael Michael Kors label with personal stylists on hand. To complete the luxe fashion experience, there’s a grand shoe salon. Menswear and men’s accessories are on the upper level.
To celebrate the opening, there is a special limited edition collection which has three handbag styles and a pack of six stickers. The collection pays homage to the red in the Singapore flag and each bag will include a limited-edition plaque on the interior.
Hollywood star Kate Hudson flew in for the grand opening, which saw celebrities Marion Caunter, Jojo Goh, Deborah Henry and Kavita Sidhu (Malaysia), Fann Wong and Jeanette Aw (Singapore), Praya Lundberg (Thailand) and Jessica Gomes (Australia).
Behind the aviators
The self-professed city boy who coined the term jet set, which aptly describes the look of his brand – relaxed, easy glamour – says that it’s important is to always keep an eye on the customer. This is something he has consistently been doing from his early days in the industry.
“I always had my eye on the customer, always. And I always tried to be on the street and see what’s happening. I think about the trajectory, when I started at Lothar’s and I was 19-years-old. If we sold three of something I thought it was thrilling and then I went into my own business and 30 of something was exciting, and now it could be 3,000, it could be more but I keep my eye on the customer.”
He says he’s very fortunate as he knew what he wanted to do from an early age and had the support of his family. The worst part of being Michael Kors he says, is the lack of the free time.
“I carve time out, I love being in Singapore, I’ve been here many times. What I love is when you have the rush of the city, you can find some nature in the city, it gives you that moment to breathe and sort of reinvigorate yourself. Whether it’s going to the gardens or if I’m in Sydney, going to the beach.”
The original concept of jet set could be taken from the days when the papparazzi first started stalking personalities like Jackie Kennedy, Bianca and Mick Jagger coming back from trips. Kors says they were glamorous but at the same time casual and that appealed to him.
Nowadays, it’s not just celebrities, but everyone’s on the move. As he says, “a woman could be sitting in Wyoming and she’s on net-a-porter and she’s watching our show live streamed from her house.”
“All that I think, the changes are very Michael Kors, as they are about speed and mobility and curiosity and you have to stay at the head of the curve, and it changes.”
Celebrities have always been part of the brand and they not only eptomise the look of the brand, they’re also personal friends. What attracts him are their optimism and love of life.
“I think a lot of fashion people aren’t optimistic, I think they’re sad and withdrawn and that’s fine, the world is full of different ways of approaching things. I am very optimistic as a person, I always think that the glass is half full, not half empty. I think when you put on the right things, you feel better, more confident. And I love people that have that and you sense it, whether it’s someone like Kate Hudson, Blacke Lively or Lily Aldridge; all three of them have it.”
It’s not all glamour, Kors has a number of philanthropic committments and one that he’s very proud of is Watch Hunger Stop, a partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme to help build a world with zero hunger. Since its launch in 2013, Watch Hunger Stop has raised over 13 million meals for those in need.
“We thought we would be at 13 million meals at this time when in fact we’re at 15 million so that two million extra meals are fabulous. If we can keep speeding it up like that, keep the momentum and keep the noise, I honestly believe – when we talked to the World Food Program people – they are telling us that we can see zero hunger. With any other crazy thing in the world which most of us unfortunately can’t control, this we can all do something about.”
He believes that everyone should look beyond their comfort zone and sees things from a different perspective. For fashion people, he says their biggest mistake is spending too much time together as it has a tendency to make you think certain things are normal (eg: fur shoes in the tropics).
Most of his friends aren’t in the fashion industry and his oldest friend is a housewife with five children. Kors humorously says he knows what it’s like to raise children as he experiences it with her.
“I listen to who I work with, the people in my family and I have a very different life so you have to keep your eye on real life, you have to be empathetic. I think you don’t want to see the world passing by in a car with the window rolled up, you want to be on the street.”
When it comes to advice for aspiring designers, Kors says to travel, and if they can’t, travel on the phone.
“I think that’s the biggest thing, you have to get out of your own space. You also have to think about who do you want your customer to be and what can you answer differently than what other people are doing. I’ve been friends with Vera Wang for 37 years, and when Vera started her business she thought about bridal because she got married and she hated all the wedding gowns and she could’t find anything. So you have to think about how to answer the question differently. Research other places, other cultures and cities. I don’t care where you are in the world, if you want to be a fashion designer, spend time in a store. Watch what people are buying and what they’re wearing so you’re not just living in your own world.”
For Kors, the secret to success is simple. Know your customer and what they want. And step in their shoes and shop in the store.
As Kors says, “If I don’t think it’s worth me spending the money, why would I think anyone else should?” Who can argue with that?
From Star2.com (Singapore) 12/07/2016
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